SDSU falls to Oakland in opener

PAPILLION, Neb. – Oakland pushed a run across in the top of the ninth inning and held on for a 3-2 victory over South Dakota State in the opening game of a four-game Summit League baseball series Friday afternoon at Fricke Field.

The Golden Grizzlies improved to 10-25 overall and 5-6 in The Summit League. SDSU dropped to 19-13 overall, 5-4 in league play. The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Spencer Marentette started the game-winning rally by reaching on a bad-hop single to shortstop. Marentette moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Brosseau, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Trent Drumheller’s sacrifice fly to center field.

Russell Luxton Jr. retired the side in order in the Jackrabbit ninth to preserve the victory.

Both Jackrabbit starter Layne Somsen and Oakland left-hander Jason Hager kept the game scoreless until the sixth inning, when the Golden Grizzlies broke into the scoring column first on an RBI single by Mike Carson that scored Drumheller.

SDSU answered with two runs in the home half of the sixth as Scott Splett led off with a double to left center and freshman Paul Jacobson followed with a triple to straight-away center field. Jacobson scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Melton.

Oakland tied the game in the top of the seventh as Carson drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk against Somsen.

The Jackrabbits loaded the bases on three walks in the bottom of the eighth, but came up empty as reliever Connor Mielock struck out Zach Coppola to end the inning. SDSU stranded 10 runners in the game.

Each team recorded seven hits. Al Robbins, Splett and Aaron Machbitz each tallied two hits for the Jackrabbits, while Marentette was the lone Oakland player with more than one hit.

Somsen struck out three and walked four in seven innings of work for the Jackrabbits, while Hager fanned seven and walked four in 7 1/3 innings. Chad Hodges suffered the loss in relief.